Work hard but fair, if you're where your rival wants to be.
That's the lay of the land for Supercars Hall of Famer John Bowe, who admits there is a fine line between defensive racing and being unsporting.
Regarded as being "harder to pass than a kidney stone," 1995 drivers' champion Bowe has seen it and done it when it comes to both defending and attacking for position.
The introduction of the Finals Series concept has encouraged Supercars drivers to scrap for every position and point they can, which has already led to high drama.
There was no greater exponent of firm but fair defensive driving with everything on the line than Ryan Wood, who last year put up a sterling fight to protect his teammate Chaz Mostert from a racy Will Brown at Sandown.
The record books will show Mostert as 2025 champion, and he could have Wood to thank, given Mostert's victory paved the way to a Grand Final berth, where the title was settled.
For Bowe, it's those efforts that highlight the crucial nature of being able to defend your position, given it could make or break an entire championship.
"Defensive racing is, to me anyways, your car is where they want to be," Bowe told Supercars.com.
"So, it's about car placement more than anything. You can't cut people off, and you can't weave on the straights, that stuff's against the rules.
"It doesn't matter if you're in the Finals or you're racing for 15th place. If you are where they want to be, well, that's part of the craft."
Defensive racing gone wrong has reared its head a number of times already this season. Notably, Cam Waters was warned over a block on Matt Payne at the end of Darwin's long straight, while Brown immediately earned the ire of officials over moving under brakes on Brodie Kostecki at Hell Corner late in the Bathurst 1000.
"I think that kind of stuff crosses the line," Bowe said.
"I won't say what I would've done, but I would've played it differently than Will. And I have a lot of respect for Will, and many of the guys out there, to be honest. They're all good at it. But moving under brakes is not on.
"I mean, if he had have parked himself there in the first place, then he wouldn't have had to move, would he? If you've got a car that's a second a lap faster, of course you can probably find a way around somebody.
"But these cars seem to be so equal. Their tyre life is fairly similar. There's bugger-all distance and time between any of them. So on any given day, there can be a spoiler in the pack somewhere.
"Let's be clear, I'm not against defensive driving at all, but there are rules. You can't weave on the straight. You can only change lines once, and you can't change direction under braking.
"If the bloke's good enough, he'll get round you without biffing you out of the way, which I don't agree with."
Bowe admits he got himself into some tricky situations over the years as he fought for position. Look no further than Bathurst 2003, when Bowe was tipped into the Hell Corner sand by Steven Richards as they disputed the minor positions.
What matters to Bowe, is the outcome. Sometimes, circumstances render an accident inevitable, such as the controversial clash between Broc Feeney and Ryan Wood in Adelaide last year.
"I used to be known for having a wide car, but I don't necessarily think it was wide. I just knew how to place it well," Bowe said.
"Sure, there were times when I probably shouldn't have done some things, because the person behind gets frustrated because he can't find a way past you, and then biffs you off.
"There are a few circumstances in my racing life where I thought I probably should've rolled over. But this is a different ballgame. This is going into Finals with teammates.
"I think it needs to be kept honourable, and not have a controversy like last year. Feeney, by rights should have been the champion, but his engine let him down. But he got biffed by Chaz Mostert's teammate.
"I know it's professional sport, but it's still a sport and it needs to be conducted properly."
As it was in 2025, racecraft is set to play a critical role in determining the outcome of the 2026 championship. That proved the case at Bathurst, as Kostecki's smarts outweighed his rivals' defence.
Of the current crop of drivers, Bowe claimed Mostert was "pretty complete," adding: "He's a very senior driver now, and if he's got half a decent car, you can rely on him to put up a serious fight."
All told, the full picture won't be realised until Adelaide, with Bowe reluctant to make a bold call until after the Semi Final at Sandown, a track he knows all too well.
"We won't know anything until Adelaide though. Anybody that drops out at Sandown, bad luck, eh?" Bowe said.
"I've lost more championships than I've won at the final round, and I've won a few in various categories, in open wheelers, in sports cars, in GT cars, in friggin' Supercars, you know?
"But it's so competitive, so whoever wins will deserve it."
